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Spacious, versatile and dripping in upmarket appeal, luxury SUVs have all the bases covered. Here are 10 of the best
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It’s perhaps a sign of our embattled and topsy-turvy times that despite a cost of living crisis, pressing climate concerns and war in Europe, sales of luxury SUVs continue to boom.
In fairness, you can’t exactly blame manufacturers for trying to meet demand, because these large and lavishly appointed machines all come with a healthy slice of profit baked in - and after years of pandemic-enforced sales restrictions, most firms want to make heavily fatted hay while the sun shines.
Moreover, think what you will of these four-wheeled displays of conspicuous consumption, but there’s no doubting their versatility or the depth of engineering on display (or even hidden away).
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Melding the cosseting comfort of an executive saloon with refined and mature road manners, many of these machines can also squeeze in seven occupants and still have space to spare.
Then there’s the fact that many can head further off the beaten track than you’d ever thought possible –although whether you want to pitch diamond-cut 21in alloys and special-order mattpaintwork against mud, rocks and hawthorn hedges is another matter.
And despite their bluff appearance and gas-guzzling reputation, many of our contenders in this list feature plug-in hybrid powertrains that could save a fair chunk in fuel costs and deliver some healthy tax savings for company car drivers.
Now almost every premium player (and upmarket wannabe) has one of these models on their books. To make things easier,we’ve picked out 10 of the best for you.
Top 10 best luxury SUVs
1. Range Rover Sport
9
Pros
Outstanding refinement
Broad range of dynamic ability
Tech-filled interior
Cons
Many won't like the exterior design
Expensive
Land Rover has a bad reliability record
Many brands have tried to muscle in on this increasingly crowded corner of the market, but none has yet managed to depose the king of luxury SUVs: the Range Rover.
In this case, we've picked the Range RoverSport, which objectively speaking is a fractionally more complete and compelling purchase than its fractionally larger and much pricier big brother.
Now in its third generation, the Sport does a fine job of pitching for the title of ‘every car you’ll ever need’. A material richness that befits its luxury billing is expected, as is the imperious off-road ability and loping on-road comfort.
The space and seven-seat versatility is also a carryover from its extremely successful predecessor. Less expected in the surprising dynamism that makes the Sport feel far more fleet-footed than its vast exterior dimensions would suggest.
This is achieved in no small part by the optional anti-roll air suspension and four-wheel steering option, the later giving a real boost in agility.
It's built on the same MLA Flex platform as the full-fat Rangie, which means it offers a complete catalogue of abilities, and while it’s not quite as large or as spacious as its bigger sibling, the Sport more than makes up for it with its remarkable breadth of talent. Then there’s the first-rate cabin richness, refinement and luxury ambience, while Land Rover's latest 13.1in Pivi Pro infotainment touchscreen finally gives the brand the onboard tech to rival the best.
The Sport's roster of qualities is certainly one for which Land Rover charges a tidy premium, even over prices typical of this rarefied class. However,it softens the blow for some with the Sport's P460e and P550e plug-in hybrid powertrains, which pack a claimed 76 miles of electric-only range, which for fleet users means a BIK tax rating of just 5%.
Land Rover's latest six-cylinder Ingenium petroland diesel engines also feature, with the D300 and D350 mild-hybrid diesel options serving a compelling blend of parsimony, pace and peace. For those less fussed about fuel consumption, there's BMW-sourced 4.4-litre V8 that packs a 523bhp punch in its standard guise or a hammer-blow 626bhp in the new SV flagship.
The kerb weight necessary to provide the Sport's off-road ability doesn't dilute its on-road prowess either, especially when kitted out with the optional Stormer Handling pack, which comprises four-wheel steering, active anti-roll bars and trick torque-vectoring differentials. This is still a big car, but it can be hustled hard.
Even so, to drive one of these cars is to quickly realise that some prices are worth paying. The Range Rover Sport really does it all, and it may well be all the luxury SUV you'll ever want or need.
Read our Range Rover Sport review
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2. Porsche Cayenne review
9
Pros
Tidy, expensive-feeling, digitally updated cabin
The class benchmark when it comes to driving satisfaction
Rides very well for the most part
Cons
PHEVs' electric range is good but not class-best
Heavier PHEVs don't handle quite as well
The car that saved Porsche entered its third model generation in 2017andin doing soeased out its VolkswagenGroup platform buddy, the Audi Q7, for a place at the sharp end of this class ranking.
The latest Cayenne isn't quite the driver's car that we've all come to knowand that many of us came to begrudgingly respect after taking so powerfully against what the car seemed to represent in its first iteration back in 2002. Because Porsche is still Porsche:it still makes the very best sports cars in the world, thanks in no small part to a business that's now built on the commercial bedrock of luxury SUVs.
The Cayenne in its current form is plainly a car that's content to leave the sports car impressions to its little sibling, the Macan, and instead to play the high-quality, luxury SUV with greater focus than any of its forebears have. It still delivers driver appeal that's distinguishing, if not quite outstanding.
The Cayenne's interior is one of breath-taking quality, its ride refinement gives away almost nothing to the most comfortable in the classand its performance is as strong as ever, backed by a range of engines that may no longer include a dieselbut does include an impressive pair of plug-in hybrids, a turbo V6 and a turbo V8 petrol.
There's now even the more rakish Cayenne Coupé, should the (already pretty decidedly unboxy) regular Cayenne somehow not seem desirable or special enough.
Then there's the wild GT, which infuses the big SUV with some genuine 911 GT3 driver appeal and holds bragging rights as the fastest SUV around the Nürburgring.
Read our Porsche Cayenne review review
3. BMW X5
9
Pros
Strong, free-revving engines
Refined and dynamic handling
Excellent PHEV with long electric range
Cons
Some rival SUVs are more practical
Updated interior takes a step back in quality and usability
Hybrid can charge at 7.4kW only
The fourth generation of the BMW X5 has been treated to a mid-life refresh, but such were the abilities of the old car that you could argue that no such nip-and-tuck was needed.
In fairness, BMW has kept the updates simple, with revised looks front and rear, more tech inside and some mildly enhanced engines that, of course, combine greater performance with enhanced efficiency.
Even so, 20 years on from the original versionthat played a big part of in redefining this part of the luxury car market, the X5 recipe remains the same.
Essentially, BMW hit on a powerfully appealing concept: that of the sporting SUV with as much space, versatility and 4x4 capability as many needed but not enough to dull its dynamic edge.
The latest car is smaller and lower than many of its rivals, with a more saloon-like recumbent driving position.
However, it gives little away in luxury ambience, with a rich and expensively finished cabin that’s been improved by the addition of BMW's now traditional curved screen for the instrument cluster and infotainment.
There’s a sizeable boot, too,and the option of seven seats.
But it's the X5's driving experience that's still most likely to bond you with the car, particular if a large 4x4 is the car you need but not the one you necessarily want.
Pacy steering, good body control, well-balanced grip levels and fairly crisp and incisive handling response make this handle as much like an estateas an SUV, while strong, smooth and refined engines provide all the performance you're likely to want.
Other SUVs offer more material richness still, as well as more space, comfort and 4x4 capability –and that's to say nothing of the X5's styling, which, thanks to that oversized kidney grille, has attracted some high-profile criticism.
Still, for keen drivers, the X5 will always deserve close consideration –and, thanks to the impressive xDrive50ePHEV version, for tax-savvy fleet drivers likewise.
Read our BMW X5 review
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4. Land Rover Discovery
9
Pros
Off-road prowess
Terrific, laid-back driveability
Genuine seven-seat usability
Cons
Rear styling yet to grow on us
Rivals still more efficient
Land Rover has a bad reliability record
The second win for Land Rover in this list is delivered by a car whose character differs starkly from that of the car abovebut may be all the more appealing to you for its relative lack of machismo: the fifth-generation Discovery.
That said, don’t mistake it's more workaday remit with any reduction in luxury vibes:any owner of a five-year-old Range Rover stepping into a Discovery would feel like theyhad upgraded.
It's a car of controversial but rugged styling, with off-road ability that few in the class could beatand with a brief to provide functional, understated, comfortable luxury and versatility on the road - and that succeeds at that task with likable ease.
Seven usable seats are inside, andyou will have a great timewhen you're driving it,because this is as comfortable a cruiser as many traditional, saloon-shaped luxury cars.
With such size and weight, though, comes considerable thirst, so the Discovery isn't a cheap car to run, partly because the engine range isn't as fulsome as that of the Range Rover Sport, including as it does four- and six-cylinder diesel options and a four-cylinder petrol but no plug-in hybrids (adding the petrol-electric motor would have necessitated the removal of the third row seats).
The Discovery is neither fast nor particularly dynamic in its handling. In our view, however, a big 4x4 needn't beor domuch more than this in order to earn its place in your esteem and your affections - and the Discovery certainly does the latter.
In fact, if you don’t need the status enhancement that’s inferred by the Range Rover tag, the Disco is arguably the most complete product in the brand’s line-up.
Read our Land Rover Discovery review
5. Audi Q7
8
Pros
Outstanding cabin refinement
Towering material quality
Roomier than most seven-seat SUVs
Cons
Remote, assistance-heavy steering
No handling finesse
Unexceptional residual values
The Q7 is a desirable, polished SUV with a real aura of accomplishment. Huge inside, with high-quality materials and a very high level of refinement and mechanical isolation, it may be the embodiment of everything you want in a modern upmarket family car – particularly if you consider cars like this the modern manifestation of luxury in automotive form.
The downsides? In typical Audi fashion, the Q7 feels quite remote to drive, handles in grippy and effective but uninvolving fashionand is a little short on the charisma that other cars in this class have in abundance.
Then again, there's always the related, 592bhp Audi RS Q8, which addresses that character shortage pretty directly. However, the Q7 is at its best when oiling along in a smooth and unflustered manner, its standard air springs soothing progress and its excellent refinement keeping long haul headaches at bay.
As a result, it's best suited to the muscular V6 diesel options, particularly the 286bhp 50 TDI - although company car users will prefer the tax savings offered by the plug-in hybrid 55 TFSIe.
Overall, the Q7 is potent and efficient, while an important facelift in 2019 upgraded the interior with the infotainment kit that you will find in other big Audis.
With pricing that's quite competitive and on-road performance free of many of the usual SUV compromises, it's little wonder that the Q7remains so popular.
Read our Audi Q7 review
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6. Mercedes-Benz GLE
8
Pros
Spacious interior with up to seven seats
Wide engine range
Excellent leg room
Cons
Beaten by rivals for boot space
Not as sharp to drive as the BMW X5
Mercedes-Benz has redoubled its commitment to the luxury SUV market by investing in a new vehicle platformand by making the first model to use it – the fourth-generation GLE (née ML)– a bit of a technological pioneer.
It has grown in size considerably compared with the old GLE and featuresa more rigid mixed-metal body structure. It offers considerably more space for second- and third-row passengers (the seven-seat option isn't available inthe plug-in hybrid) than its predecessor, and what Mercedes bills as a markedly more upmarket luxury ambience in all seats.
The GLE uses Mercedes' latest MBUX infotainment system and dual widescreen instrument and Comand controls displays, plus it gets a giant head-up display with improved display functionality.
Engine options include a trio of four- and six-cylinder turbo diesels with up to 325bhp, as well as a 3.0-litre turbo petrol that, in theGLE 450, makes 362bhp and 369lb ft.
For suspension, meanwhile, you can choose between steel coil suspension and a 48V active air suspension system that uses stereo cameras to read the road surface ahead and prepares the suspension for what it's about to encounter in advance.
The GLE 450 impresses with its refinement, performance and ride comfort, but the four-pot GLE 300d is notably shorter on mechanical isolation and ride sophistication. In the middle is the straight-six diesel GLE 400d,which almost matches the big petrol for pace and refinement yet is barely any less efficient in the real world than the smaller GLE 300d.
Then there's the GLE 350de diesel plug-in hybrid, which promises to be a popular high-end fleet option, thanks to an impressive electric-only range of more than 60 miles, which drops it into the 8% BIK tax bracket.
If comfort, refinement, luxury and practicality are your priorities, the GLE is worth a look.
Read our Mercedes-Benz GLE review
7. Volvo XC90
8
Pros
Genuine seven-seat cabin
Confidence inspiring and comfortable
Cons
Refinement could be better
Undistinguished cabin plastics
Volvo's renaissance following Ford ownership started with the XC90,a genuine seven-seater with comfort and handling on its side, a decent range of engines, including a401bhp plug-in hybrid, and an abundance of style.
It's another car that sits directly in the middle of the luxury SUV price spectrum. The interior features a mix of luxury touches and not-so-luxury plastics in places, while less-than-perfect engine refinement and infotainment usability niggles ensure the XC90 stops just short of greatness.
Nonetheless, Volvo made worthwhile improvements to the car's engine range when it replaced the D5 diesel with a new mild-hybrid B5 option in 2019. Better still, a couple of years later, the T8 PHEV was treated to a larger 18.8 kWh drive battery, upping its electric-only range to 44 miles while simultaneously dropping its BIK taxbanding from 12 to 8%.
But a spot in the heart of a hotly contested, marquee class like this won't disappoint a company still in the early days of its latest ownership epoch.
Volvo is a company on the up, and the XC90 was the first product to so convincingly prove how serious the brand was about its move upmarket.
Even now, nearly a decade after it launched, the big Swede still has the style, space and swagger to cut it in this exalted company.
Read our Volvo XC90 review
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8. Range Rover Velar
8
Pros
Concept-car-level design appeal
Excellent ride refinement
Cons
Comfortable, stylish, technologically avant-garde cabin
All that elan and suaveness comes at a price
Land Rover has a bad reliability record
The Range Rover Velar is Land Rover's most road-biased SUV yet, with looks taken straight from those of the concept car of the same name, an interior that puts most others to shame with its richness in both materials and technologyand a platform adapted from one primarily developed for Jaguar.
On the road, it's every bit as good to drive as it is to simply admire, with ride, refinement, performance and handling precision every bit as good as any car in the class - provided you don't skimp on cylinder count when you specify your car.
Four-cylinder engines are much poorer than the sixes, while the plug-in lacks the pace, refinement and EV range of the newer Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.Business users will be facing a 12% BIK tax rate, rather than the 8% of the pricierRangies.
Practicality and off-road ability aren't quite up to the standards of Land Rover's other cars in this class either, but the latter is boosted considerably if you option height-adjustable air suspension.
Even so, the Velar will venture much further into the rough stuff than mostrivals, assuming you’re willing to risk the muddy slings and arrows of damage that can come with a spot of green-laning.
Prices start fairly low, but it's worth stretching to the better engines in the range, albeit perhaps not Range Rover's upper-echelon trim levels, to get the best car.
At its worst, the Velar can be a fairly ordinary car to drive,but at its best, it's quite something. That said, the arrival of all-new versions of the Range Rover andRange Rover Sport leave the Velar facing something of an existential crisis, given that both of those machines have superior powertrains and now give nothing away in handling elan.
Read our Range Rover Velar review
9. Genesis GV80
7
Pros
Diesel engine is not trendy but it is very accomplished
Genesis has established its own style, especially in the interior
Cons
Secondary ride is unacceptable for a luxury SUV
No hybrid or plug-in hybrid models
It's a bit reductive to say so, but if you fancy a Bentley Bentayga for a fraction of the price,the Genesis GV80 is as close as it gets.
From its bold, bluff-fronted looks through to its richly luxurious interior and similarly be-winged badge, the Korean upstart does a good job at being a facsimile at a fraction of the cost.
Okay, so the comparisons only stand up loosely, but there is a lot to like in the GV80, which was the first model from Hyundai's premium brand to arrive on European shores.
The Genesis is certainly imposing, while inside it'sroomy and hasfit-and-finish that makes established players at this end of the market sit up and take notice. Soft quilted leather covers the seats, while everything you see and touch feels a cut above.
It's also crammed with state-of-the-art technology and has all the TFT displays and touchscreen infotainment you could want. Then there's the way the car is sold and spannered, with a concierge service that aims to make life as painless as possible.
So what's the catch? Well, while the GV80 looks and feels the part, it just struggles to deliver dynamically. It handles accurately enough, while the 3.0-litre diesel is a smooth and strong performer, but the four-cylinder petrol is strained when extended, the major controls are lifeless and the low-speed ride is too lumpy to be truly luxurious.
And the lack of any electrified option is curious for such a new face to the sector - although Genesis'sfast adoption of EV technology elsewhere in the range suggests you won’t have to wait long for a battery-backed GV80.
However, if you're keen to avoid the usual suspects, the GV80's style and surprising sense of occasion make it a worthwhile addition to your SUV shopping list.
Read our Genesis GV80 review
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10. Audi Q8 E-tron Quattro
7
Pros
Very comfortable ride
Smooth and quiet
Very luxurious interior
Cons
Climate controls are poor
Feels very heavy
Expensive
The inherent qualities of electrified propulsion are really being brought to bear by the very best luxury EVs on the market, and there can be no doubt that the Audi Q8 E-tron is one of them.
Launched as the E-tron in 2018, it became the Q8 E-tron when it wastreated to a mid-life refresh at the very end of 2022.
Subtlysharper looks are the most obvious change on the inside, while the battery capacity has been upped to 89kWh in the entry-level 50 model and 106kWh for the 55 and sportier SQ8 variants.
The rapid charging limit has also been raised to 170kW, although this still trails those rivals with 800V hardware that can be replenished at up to 350kW.
In all other respects, it's the same as before, which means you get plenty of luxury, perceived quality, comfort and refinement. As before, it offers the interior passenger space of thecombustion-engined Q7 and the quiet, responsive, urgent performance.
But it's the Q8 E-tron'sride isolation and general noise suppression that impress most; factors which make it, in some ways, more comparable with a Rolls-Royce Phantom on the move than a typical big 4x4.
Real-world range is something a drawback.Audi claims 330 miles for the car in 55 form, but it works out at more like 230to 250 miles in mixed real-world use,which isn't much for an EV of this priceand isn't likely to be enough to make a great many owners and drivers entirely comfortable on longer journeys. The 50 is claimed to have a rangeof up to 281 miles.
There's also the slightly sleeker-looking Q8 E-tron Sportbackand the range-topping, tri-motor SQ8 E-tron, which stops only just short of 500bhp and offers clever asymmetrical torque-vectoring to boot.
If not for that limited rangeand a slight lack of SUV-typical off-road ability and utility value, it would have been hard to deny the Q8 E-tron top spot in this chart.
Read our Audi Q8 E-tron Quattro review
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James Disdale
Title: Special correspondent
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James is a special correspondent for Autocar, which means he turns his hand to pretty much anything, including delivering first drive verdicts, gathering together group tests, formulating features and keeping Autocar.co.uk topped-up with the latest news and reviews. He also co-hosts the odd podcast and occasional video with Autocar’s esteemed Editor-at-large, Matt Prior.
For more than a decade and a half James has been writing about cars, in which time he has driven pretty much everything from humble hatchbacks to the highest of high performance machines. Having started his automotive career on, ahem, another weekly automotive magazine, he rose through the ranks and spent many years running that title’s road test desk. This was followed by a stint doing the same job for monthly title, evo, before starting a freelance career in 2019. The less said about his wilderness, post-university years selling mobile phones and insurance, the better.
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TStag 19 March 2021
I do like the Range Rovers. The cars have the best looking interiors, are best offroad and look good, though reliabilty still needs to improve.
I'll take a reliability hit to bypass all the boring Japanese cars in this class and some mingers like the Audi Q7. For me the only rival to Land Rover is Porsche and in fairness to both brands they both offer something different to one another that appeals.
Autocar and other magazines should show reliabity of older models when reviewing older models, but also other factors such as Depreciation (go to the bottomof the class BMW) and customer satisfaction. For me Depreciation is more of an issue in buying a car than reliability, so no more new BMW's from now on.
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Spandan Adhikari 10 September 2020
YOU MISSED MASERATI
Come on!
What a joke. You're taking BMW, Audi, Range Rover but you forgot the Maserati Levante Trofeo. It's got so much hp, almost 580 hp and does 0-60 in just 4.9 secs!
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WinstonAlexanderson 16 July 2020
JLR steals the show
Absolute quality cars JLR is producing now days.I cannot wait for the new jaguar XJ myself, but the land rover defender is an a master piece.This is by far the most exciting brand going into 2020.
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